�əʊpən/, follow /ˈfɒləʊ/

Adjectives are stressed in the same way as disyllabic verbs.

e.g. lovely /ˈlʌvli/, even /ˈiːvən/, hollow /ˈhɒləʊ/, divine /dɪˈvaɪn/, correct /kəˈrekt/
Exceptions: honest /ˈɒnəst/, perfect /ˈpɜːfɪkt/
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Adverbs and prepositions tend to behave like verbs and adjectives.
Nouns:

Short vowel

e.g. money /ˈmʌni/, product /ˈprɒdʌkt/, larynx /ˈlærɪŋks/
exception: estate /ɪˈsteɪt/, ballon /bəˈluːn/, design /dɪˈzaɪn/

Trisyllabic words
Verbs
short vowel/ends with one consonant

e.g. encounter /ɪnˈkaʊntə/
determine /dɪˈtɜːmɪn/

Nouns

long vowel/diphthong

long vowel/diphthong/ends with
more than one consonant

e.g. entertain /ˌentəˈteɪn/
resurrect /ˌrezəˈrekt/
short vowel or /əʊ/ or
end with one consonant

e.g. potato /pəˈteɪtəʊ/, disaster /dɪˈzɑːstə/

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long vowel/diphthong/ends with
more than one consonant

Short vowel

e.g. quantity /ˈkwɒntəti/,
cinema /ˈsɪnəmə/, emperor /ˈemprə/

Adjectives seem to follow the same rule as nouns.

e.g. stimuli /ˈstɪmjʊlaɪ/,
intellect /ˈɪntəlekt/

e.g. opportune /ˈɒpətjuːn/, humanoid /ˈhjuːmənɔɪd/, derelict /ˈderɪlɪkt/, insolent /ˈɪnslənt/


2. Stress in Complex Words
Complex words have one or more affixes, which can be prefixes or suffixes. We can classify affixes
according to the effect they have on word stress:
▪
▪
▪

The affix itself receives primary stress.
The word is stressed as if the affix was not there: most suffixes are added to the base with
no effect on the placement of stress.
The suffix attracts stress to the immediately preceding syllable.

Prefixes

The effect of adding prefixes is less predictable than of suffixes. There is no prefix of one or two
syllables that always carries primary stress. Generally, stress in words with a prefix is determined
by the same rules as stress in words without a prefix.

Suffixes

Suffixes carrying primary stress themselves
Some examples:
-ain
-ee
-eer
-ese
-ette
-esque


enter
refuge
mountain
vietnam
cigar
picture

/ˈentə/
/ˈrefjuːʤ/
/ˈmaʊntən/
/ˌvjetˈnɑːm/
/sɪˈgɑː/
/ˈpɪkʧə/

entertain
refugee
mountaineer
vietnamese
cigarette
picturesque

/ˌentəˈteɪn/
/ˌrefjʊˈʤiː/
/ˌmaʊntəˈnɪə/
/ˌvjetnəˈmiːz/
/ˌsɪgˈret/
/ˌpɪkʧəˈresk/

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Suffixes that do not affect stress placement.
Some examples
-able
-age
-al
-en
-ful
-ing
-ish
-like
-less
-ly
-ment
-ness
-ous
-fy
-wise
-y

comfort
mile
refuse
wide
wonder
amaze
devil

child
power
hurried
punish
happy
poison
glory
other
fun

/ˈkʌmfət/
/maɪl/
/ˌrəˈfjuːz/
/waɪd/
/ˈwʌndə/
/əˈmeɪz/
/ˈdevl/
/ʧaɪld/
/ˈpaʊə/
/ˈhʌrɪd/
/ˈpʌnɪʃ/
/ˈhæpi/
/ˈpɔɪzn/
/ˈglɔːri/
/ˈʌðə/
/fʌn/

Suffixes that influence stress in the base

comfortable

mileage
refusal
widen
wonderful
amazing
devilish
childlike
powerless
hurriedly
punishment
happiness
poisonous
glorify
otherwise
funny

/ˈkʌmftəbl/
/ˈmaɪlɪʤ/
/rəˈfjuːzl/
/ˈwaɪdn/
/ˈwʌndəfl/
/əˈmeɪzɪŋ/
/ˈdevlɪʃ/
/ˈʧaɪldlaɪk/
/ˈpaʊələs/
/ˈhʌrɪdli/
/ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/
/ˈhæpɪnes/
/ˈpɔɪznəs/
/ˈglɔːrɪfaɪ/

/ˈʌðəwaɪz/
/ˈfʌni/

advantageous
photography
proverbial
climatic
perfection
injurious
rapidity
productive

/ˌædvənˈteɪʤəs/
/fəˈtɒgrəfi/
/prəˈvɜːbiəl/
/klaɪˈmætɪk/
/pəˈfekʃən/
/ɪnˈʤʊərɪəs/
/rəˈpɪdɪti/
/prəˈdʌktɪv/

The stress shifts to the last syllable of the base.
Some examples:
-egous
-graphy
-ial
-ic
-ion
-ious
-ity

-ive

advantage
photo
proverb
climate
perfect
injure
rapid
product

/ədˈvɑːntɪʤ/
/ˈfəʊtəʊ/
/ˈprɒvɜːb/
/ˈklaɪmɪt/
/ˈpɜːfɪkt/
/ˈɪnʤə/
/ˈræpɪd/
/ˈprɒdʌkt/

3. Stress in Compound Words
A few rules can be given, but they are not completely reliable. The element which does not carry
primary stress normally gets secondary stress.

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Compound nouns

Compound adjectives

Compound adverbs

Compound verbs

(n) + (n)
(adj) + (n)-ed
stress last element
(v) + prep

ˈtypewriter, ˈsuitcase,
ˈtelephone directory

ˈbattery

charger,

bad – ˈtempered, heavy – ˈhanded

head – ˈfirst, North – ˈEast, downˈstream

to take ˈoff, to switch ˈon

4. Variable of Stress
The stress pattern of English words is not always fixed. Stress in words may vary for mainly two
reasons:


1) As a result of the stress on other words occurring next to that word: the stress on a finalstressed compound word tends to move to the preceding syllable if the following word
begins with a strongly stressed syllable.
e.g.
bad – ˈtempered
but
a ˈbad-tempered ˈteacher,
heavy – ˈhanded
but
a ˈheavy – handed ˈsentence.
2) Sometimes there is more than once correct pronunciation of a word.
e.g.
controversy /ˈkɒntrəvɜːsi/ or /kənˈtrɒvəsi/
ice-cream /ˈaɪs kriːm/ or /aɪs ˈkriːm/
kilometer /ˈkɪləmiːtə/ or /kɪˈlɒmətə/
formidable /ˈfɔːmɪdəbl/ or /fəˈmɪdəbl/

5. Word-class Pairs
Some disyllabic words are distinguished as being either a noun/adjective or verb merely by
stress placement. In these cases, the verbs get stressed on the second syllable while nouns and
adjectives have stress on the first syllable. the unstressed vowel may be weakened, but this does
not always happen. Some illustrations:
contrast
desert
export
import
insult
object

(n) / (adj)
/ˈkɒntrɑːst/

/ˈdezət/
/ˈekspɔːt/
/ˈɪmpɔːt/
/ˈɪnsʌlt/
/ˈɒbʤekt/

(v)
/kənˈtrɑːst/
/dɪˈzɜːt/
/eksˈpɔːt/
/ɪmˈpɔːt/
/ɪnˈsʌlt/
/əbˈʤekt/

perfect
permit
present
produce
rebel

(n) / (adj)
/ˈpɜːfɪkt/
/ˈpɜːmɪt/
/ˈpreznt/
/ˈprɒdjuːs/
/ˈrebl/

(v)
/pəˈfekt/
/pəˈmɪt/

/prɪˈzent/
/prəˈdjuːs/
/rɪˈbel/

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6. Phrases, Compounds, Stress Shift
Phrases
When an adjective modifies a following noun, they make a phrase. Typically, they have late stress,
i.e. the second word has more stress than the first.
ˌpolished ˈwood
ˌinteresting ˈbook
ˌnew ˈassistant

Compounds

ˌrunning ˈwater
ˌhard ˈwork
ˌdifficult ˈcourse

When two elements combine to make inseparable unit with a new meaning, they form a
compound. Compounds typically have early stress, i.e. the first element is more stressed than the
second.
ˈfirewood


ˈhomework

ˈBatman

Note that compounds are often written as two words:
ˈrunning shoes
ˈsafety valve
ˈshop assistant

ˈlibrary book
ˈtoy story
ˌcorreˈspondence course

Some can optionally by hyphenated, e.g. safety-valve. Native speakers of English are often
inconsistent in the use of the hyphen.

Primary stress [ ˈ ] and secondary stress [ ˌ ] mark syllables which can take an accent. Sometimes
the same sequence of words can make a phrase or a compound. Here the late or early stress
distinguishes them.
a ˌdark ˈroom
a ˈdarkroom

the ˌwhite ˈhouse
the ˈWhite house

a ˌtoy ˈfactory
a ˈtoy factory

Late-stressed compounds: some compounds have late stress as if they were phrases. Three useful
categories:

a) The first element is the material or ingredient out of which a food is made:
ˌcherry ˈpie
ˌpork ˈshop
ˌrice ˈpudding
ˌchocolate ˈeggs
except for cake, bread, juice, and water. These compounds have early stress, as we would
expect:
ˈchocolate cake ˈrye bread
ˈorange juice
ˈmineral water
b) The first element is a proper name
ˌLondon Uniˈversity Ro ˌDeo ˈDrive
ˌEuston ˈRoad
the ˌHilton Hoˈtel
ˌSunset Boulevard
ˌOxford ˈCircus
except for Street: these have normally early stress
ˈOxford Street
ˈEuston Street
ˌForty ˈSecond Street
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c) The first element names a time or place
ˌChristmas ˈpudding ˌsummer ˈholidays
ˌkitchen ˈwindow
ˌcity ˈcenter


ˌevening ˈdress
ˌocean ˈvoyage ˌ

New compounds may at first be spoken with late stress and in time switch to early stress. Some
compounds have late stress in British English but early stress in America.
ˈbank note

Stress shift

ˈice cream

ˈspare ribs

ˈRobin Hood

Late-stress patterns switch to early-stress in constructions where they are followed by strangerstressed item.
ˌfourˈteen
ˌtown ˈhall

ˌOxford ˈCircus
ˌBeverly ˈHills
ˌHeathˈrow

ˌfourteen ˈmen
ˌtown hall ˈclock
the ˌtown hall’s closed
ˌOxford Circus ˈtube
Is ˌOxford Circus ˈinteresting?
ˌBeverly Hills ˈCop

ˌHeathrow ˈAirport

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